Filling-thimble for radiator-tanks.



R. HUFF. FILLING THIMBLE FOR RADIATOR TANKS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22,1907.

1 ,146,426. Patented July 13, 1915.

I Simon W06 19 61-10 22 %Qw% nurrnn srarns PATENT error.

RUSSELL HUFF, 013 DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO PACKARD MOTOR CAR COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION 01 MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1915.

Application filed July 22, 1907. Serial No. 884,904.

- To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RUssnLL Hn'rr, a citizen'of the United States, and residing in the city of Detroit, county of Wayne, Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in F illing-Thimbles for Radiator-Tanks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates broadly to cooling radiators used in motor vehicles, and it re lates specifically to the filling thimbles of the water tanks of such radiators. Its object is to make the operated parts more easily accessible, and to make the closure more efiicient and more easily and quickly operated.

It consists generally in a removable baliie plate and strainer, andin a pivoted or hinged closing cap closely fitting and slidably en gaging the thimble and having suflicient vertical play in the pivot to permit it to be adjusted over the thimble and moved vertically in engagement therewith.

It also consists in certain details of construction hereinafter pointed out.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a view, partly in section, showing the radiator, the radiator tank and the thimble which is made the subject of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a part of the filling thimble' showing the bafiie plate in position and the closing cap in raised position; Fig.- 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4: is a plan view, partly broken away, of the device as shown in Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawing 1 represents the casing of the ordinary radiator which has therein'the radiator tubes through which the water surrounding the engine cylinders is passed,for the purpose of cooling it. These tubes are shown at 2. The water tank 3 is placed above the radiator tubes and the water passes therefrom through the tubes, the water being admitted to this tank 3 through the pipe 4. The water admitted through the pipe {1 is hot and sometimes contains steam which is ordinarily condensed by the water in the tank, but since all of it may not be condensed the pipe 5 is provided for the purpose of carrying off such uncondensed steam and discharging it at any suitable place, such as beneath the vehicle. It willbe noticed that the inlet opening 6 of this pipe is at thetop above the water level.

The filling thimble 7 is cylindrical in shape, and enters the top of the water tank 3, 1ts purpose being to permit the tank to be filled with water, as the occasion de mands. The interior surface of this thimble is of two diameters, that near the outer end being greater than that below, thus forming ashoulder 8 on the inner surface. A baffle plate 9 is attached to a flange or ring 10 which rests on the shoulder 8. The shoulder to be placed. In the form shown this plate is substantially cylindrical, having a portion cut away large enough to embrace the vertical portion of the pipe 5. It extends through the thimble, down into the water tank, and it will be noted that the cutaway portion is on the side opposite to the inlet pipe 4., so that the water entering through pipe 4 is discharged against the solid side of this baflle plate. Within this baffle plate is mounted the strainer 11, preferably conical in shape. The parts being, held supported simply by the flange 10 resting upon the shoulder 8, it is apparent that the baffle plate and strainer may be easily and quickly removed through the outer end of the thimble, and thus they may be cleaned and repaired, and an examination may be made of the water tank to determine, for in-' stance, the question whether the water is circulatingproperly. The pipe 5 and cutaway portion of the baffle plate make it certain that the plate will always be inserted in proper position with the solid side toward the inlet for water. This baffle plate in front of the inletspreads the water and causes whatever steam comes in with it to be more effectively condensed.

' Above the shoulder 8 in the thimble there is shown an internal circumferential. groove 12, and leading from this groove to the top of the thimble are vertical grooves 13 arranged opposite to each other. A closing cap 14 is pivotally connected to a projection 15 upon one side of the upper end of the thimble. This cap has in its under surface a groove '16, the walls of which closely fit and slidably engage the top portion of the filling thimble. The pivot for the. cap con sists of a pin 17 in an ear 18 on the cap, this pin fitting in vertical slots 19 in the projection 15. These slots'19 are longer verticazlly than the diameter of the pin, by an amount equal to the depth ofthe slot 16 .in the cap; The purpose of this is to permit the cap to be adjusted in horizontal position just alcove the top of the thimble, and then depressed vertically without rocking motion, until the upper Walls of the thimble reach the bottom of the groove 16. This permits a much tighter fit between the parts than would be possible if the cap were rocking on a pivot, while it was engaging the top of the thimble.

The cap 14 has in its upper surface a c y-- lindrical depression 20 provided with a cylindrical hole in its center, and on the undersurface of this depression are provided grooves 21 at right angles to each other. A locking bolt 22having an operating knob 23 passes through the hole inthe center of the cap, and it has attached to the under surface of the knob a ferrule 2 1 which closely fits and slidably engagesthe depression in the top of the cap. A spring25 is placed betweenthe ferrule and the locking bolt, one

end bearing upon the cap, and the other upon the under surface of the knob, thereby tending to force the knob upward away from the cap. Passing through the lowerend of the locking bolt below the cap is the locking pin 26, which pin is of a length'- sufficient to engage under the shoulders,,of the thimble formed by the groove 12. This locking pin is permitted to enter the groove 12 through the oppositely disposed vertical slots 13. The locking bolt 24;.is rotatable, but ,is normally held in adjustable position by means of the grooves 21, on the under surface of the cap, which engage with the locking pin 26, the parts being held to-' gether by the spring.

In operation, the cap is brought toa posi. tion parallel to thetop of the thimble, the locking bolt 26 being in position above the vertical slots 13, and then the cap is-pushed downward in sliding engagement with the thimble as far as it will go. The knob 23 is depressed against the tension of thespring, and is rotated to carry the locking pin 26 away from the vertical groove 13, and thereby the cap is locked in position and is held down by the tension of the spring at all Copies of this patent may be obtained for times. lit willbenoted that the structure otthe upper part of the thimble including the locking means for theclosing cap is such that the bailie plate is easily accessible and may be easily removed through the top of the thimble.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat ternal shoulder near its top, an inlet for water adjacent thereto, a tubuiar ha is plate removably fitting'within the filling thimble and extending in front of the inlet for water, a supporting flange at the top of bailie plate, a strainer of substantially comcal form fitting within the ba'liie plate supported therein by a flange at the top, and

a removablecover for the tillingthinible.

3. The combination wlth a radiator tanl: having an inlet opening, and a filling thimhis provided with. a vent pipe on its side re mote from said opening, of a removable bafiie plate, having acutaway portion. larger than said vent pipe and extending in front 'ofsaid inlet opening, for the purpose described.

4c. The combination with a filling thimble for a radiator tank, of a stop in said thimble,

vided with a stop engaging the first stop, a removable cover for the thimble, and a latch for latching the cover and baffle plate in position.

5. The combination with-a meter-vehicle radiator having a filling thimble, of a steam or vapor vent pipe extending into said thim ble, and means arranged in said thimbie adapted to collect water from the steam or vapor and return it to the radiator.

. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence oi ,two witnesses.

. v RUSSELL HUFF. Witnesses:

MILTON Tmnn'rrs, ALLEN Looms.

five cents each, by addressing the Gommissiener of Patents, Washington, I). 0.

a aremovable baiileplate in said thimble pro v 

